


comfort.

by phosbeans



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24801745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phosbeans/pseuds/phosbeans
Summary: After a conversation with Erza, Lucy is left feeling uncertain of what awaits her future. Is there someone out there for her? Or is she meant to be alone? And why does the guild believe her and Natsu are already exclusive?(Major spoilers for the end of Fairy Tail series.)
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 1
Kudos: 71





	comfort.

“Oh?,” the scarlet haired wizard tilted her head towards her friend, “I’m surprised. You truly aren’t already a couple?” She stretched her arms out far in front of her before resting them on the ledge, ears prepared for conversation.

“No way! I can promise you, there’s nothing between us!,” the vivacious blonde retorted, “Personally, Erza, I’m not sure why this has been a common debate amongst guild members. We’re a team, nothing more than that.” 

Erza hummed as a smirk made its way to her features, “I understand.” She stood out of the water, the steam from the bathhouse seemed to envelope her body as she stood. She made sure to grab a towel on her way towards the door, and only paused to turn back to her friend for an added comment.

“But we aren’t getting any younger,” Erza placed her hand on the frame, poised in her demeanor, “It took me a while to finally realize that myself. You’re cute, Lucy, don’t you find it a bit strange you haven’t found someone to fancy?”

Lucy stared, her cheeks began to heat up in embarrassment, “I-I.. Uhh,” Lucy couldn’t speak, she couldn’t argue Erza’s comment. Lucy knew she was right. It _was_ strange she hadn’t dated anyone in a while, and even more strange she didn’t go out looking for someone herself.

Erza let out a light chuckle, “Don’t fret over it too much, I’m sure you’ll figure it out in due time,” Erza spun on her heel and began to walk out of the bathhouse, “I’ll see you later, I have a date with Jellal.” As she waved her friend off, Lucy sunk deeper into the water. Her thoughts spiraled into worry and anxiety, uncertainty etched in her mind. She wasn’t quite sure what her goal in life was, and certainly wasn’t sure what she was currently doing with it. Maybe she needed to find someone of her own accord? She had waited so long for her prince to find her, but maybe Prince Charming needed a bit of a push.

“Ughhh,” her frustrations were getting the better of her. Instead of staying in the guild bath house, she quickly rose out of the water and nearly sprinted to get dressed and head home.

\--

The next day was just as rowdy as any day at the guild hall, Fairy Tail was never a quiet bunch. As Lucy sat at her table with her head rested in her hands, she scanned the room. Erza’s words replayed over and over again in her head.

_“We aren’t getting any younger.”_

Her eyes grazed the tables around the guildhall as her mind took mental notes of potential suitors. A good handful of the guild was already together, Gajeel and Levy a prime example as they were expecting their first child any day now. She was happy for her friend, and happy that Levy could find her own happiness. But even so, that fact only hit Lucy harder in the gut. Erza was right, Lucy’s friends were going to end up married with children as she continued to play cat and mouse with her dating life.

Lucy let out a sigh of frustration before her eyes laid upon the notorious ice wizard of Fairy Tail. She blinked as her mind scanned Gray for any desirable qualities.

 _“Let’s see, he’s definitely attractive that’s for sure. What else hmmm,”_ her eyes drifted a bit to the right, quickly making contact with Juvia’s death-like stare. Lucy twitched, unsure if Juvia had been watching her for a while now, or if Juvia had sensed something amiss.

 _“But I don’t think I’d escape with my life if I even considered asking him out!”_ Lucy’s panic was short lived as she sighed and scanned the room again. Her eyes drifted across the guild hall, nervousness settling deep in her gut. At some point, she was staring directly at the Thunder Legion. With two blinks, her anxiety faded away when a thought came to mind.

 _“Oh! What about Freed? He’s scholarly, a gentleman, and just my type!,”_ she began to feel warm and fuzzy inside as thoughts of a potential future with the man crossed her mind. But sadly, those dreams were soon crushed as she watched Laxus make his way towards his teammates. The look in Freed’s eyes as he gazed towards his leader were more than enough to pull her from her fantasies, _“Ahh, right. He’s got the hots for Laxus, how could I forget?”_

Lucy sighed as she scanned the room over again, a part of her felt guilty for looking at her friend’s in a selfish way. But another part of her felt desperation. 

Finally, her eyes landed on a bushy haired wizard, _“Oh, what about Mest? He’s pretty well built, and kind of cute…,”_ her face quickly turned to one of disgust as she watched Mest follow Wendy around the guild with a dumb look on his face, _“It’s honestly unbelievable he was part of the Magic Council for so long.”_

She shook her head and closed her eyes, the silence allowed her to delve deeper into her thoughts as she returned focus back to her personal mission, _“Alright think Lucy, think. There’s Elfman? No, he’s with Evergreen. What about Max? Hmm, not my type. Warren? Ew, no! Jet, Droy? As if! I don’t wanna become Shadowgear 2.0!”_

Lucy sighed in defeat, there were truly no worthy suitors in the guild. However, a thought quickly came to mind. If there were no suitors in Fairy Tail, then what about the other guilds she’d visited across Fiore? Her heartbeat quickened as her mind raced to think of which guilds she was familiar with. There was Blue Pegasus, quite literally a host club and meant for catching youthful hearts. Lucy’s heart skipped a beat as she imagined Hibiki, Ren, and Eve serving her hand and foot. Absolute bliss overcame her as she felt her soul float on Cloud 9. However, as a memory of Ichiya burned it’s way into her brain, she felt herself fall from her high place.

“Oh hell no!,” Lucy yelled as she flung herself up from her seat. A few guild members looked over in panic, her sudden gesture startling them. Her face began to heat up, embarrassment evident across her features. She felt exposed, unsure how to face her guild members after thinking such crude thoughts about them. Without another word, she grabbed her bag and ran out the door.

\--

Lucy curled up into her bed, the stress over her conversation with Erza took a toll on her mental state. 

“Maybe I’m not meant to be with someone,” her hand reached towards her nightstand as she grabbed her gate keys, “Maybe the only companions I need are you guys.”

Sunlight shone gently through the curtains as the ethereal warmth enveloped her vulnerable state. As she sorted through each and every one of her keys, her hands paused. Guilt crawled it’s way into her heart as Lucy held what remained of Aquarius’ key. Tears began to form on her eyes and before she could think, her gate keys were thrown across the room before landing on the couch. Gently, she began to sob, feeling helpless even in her own home. She had achieved her dream of becoming not only a Fairy Tail wizard, but also became a successful author. She should be happy and content with her life, but why was she crying now?

A brilliant light flashed in her room, she knew who had entered before his soothing voice rang out, “Lucy?” Stifling her tears, she turned over to meet the gaze of one of her most trusted celestial spirits.

“Loke,” she sat up, “What are you doing here?”

Loke smiled as he made his way over from the couch to her bedside, “I felt that my lady was in need of my presence, and here I am only to find you balled up and in tears.” He sat down next to her, careful not to disturb the springs of her mattress, “Tell me, gorgeous, what’s bothering you?”

Stress was evident on every inch of her face as Lucy looked up to her friend, “Loke, I feel so alone.” This caught the lion off guard, and for a moment he felt his stomach pool with uncertainty.

“W-what? Lucy, where is this coming from?”

Lucy sighed, “It’s just! I had a talk with Erza, and she said something that’s been bothering me. My friends are happy with their lives, growing up so much faster than I can ever comprehend. Some are getting married, some are having kids,” her tears fell much quicker now, her cheeks dotted with wet freckles, “I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do, but I’m so far behind that I’m starting to wonder if I’m even meant to do anything greater.” Her eyes closed, her sobs began to fill the room. Loke could only stare, his want to flirt with his wizard was strong, but his concern for his friend took precedence. 

“Am I meant to be alone?,” Lucy forced back her sobs as she gave a pleading look towards her friend. He felt it, her desperation for an answer he couldn’t provide.

“Lucy…,” his words were uncharacteristically soft as he reached over and pulled Lucy into a gentle embrace, “I know it might not seem like it now, but you’ve touched the hearts of so many people. I know you’ve done more than enough for those you care about,” He pulled away to wipe at the tears that fell from her eyes, “And I know there’s someone out there for you. Hell, they might even be closer than you know.”

Lucy sniffed as her conversation with Erza came running through her mind again.

~

_“So, has Natsu popped the question yet?” Erza suddenly asked with a proud look etched across her face. Lucy’s heart rate spiked and she nearly tripped as the bucket she was rinsing herself with flew out of her grasp._

_“W-what!?,” Lucy was caught off guard, but part of her wasn’t certain she translated the intent of Erza’s question correctly, “Popped the question? You mean like marriage?”_

_Erza nodded, “Of course, you’ve both been together for some time now. A few guild members, as well as myself, were just curious as to when we should be expecting a wedding.”_

_Lucy’s face turned crimson, the newfound information that not only Erza but the rest of the guild thought the two were dating alarmed her. Erza caught wind of Lucy’s tension and attempted to calm the blonde down._

_“Oh, I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to pry into your life plans,” she apologized, before unknowingly rescinding her reparation, “But even so, you’re both so close. I’m curious to know what’s been the driving force in your relationship.” Erza pondered, “I know it’s not money, not that I think you’re that type of girl, and I know it’s not his boisterous nature.” Lucy’s embarrassment only heightened as Erza continued to ramble._

_“Oh! I know!,” Erza proudly exclaimed, her fist meeting the palm of her hand in realization, “Your sex life must be impressive! We all know how energetic he can be!” A wooden bucket landed straight on Erza’s face. Normally, the scarlet haired woman would be fully equipped and ready to counter whoever threw said object, but one look at Lucy’s face was enough to stop Erza in her tracks._

_“We-we aren’t together! At all! It’s purely platonic between Natsu and I!”_

~

“Hey Loke,” Lucy pulled away from her friend, a soft expression of gratitude replaced her afflicted demeanor, “Thank you.”

Loke smiled, “Of course, anything for a damsel in distress,” slowly he stood, his figure walked towards the couch, and he grabbed the ring of keys that Lucy had thrown but moments ago.

“Don’t forget, we’re all here for you. And we all love you,” Loke’s form began to dissipate as he handed Lucy’s gate keys back to her. She nodded, her tears no longer fell and her face was bright with a calm smile. As the keys fell into her hands Loke’s form was no longer present in the room, but she still felt an overwhelming warmth around her.

“I know. And I love all of you.”

\--

The sun was slowly beginning to set on the horizon, Lucy had spent the whole day at home without a second thought of her earlier stressors. Some well needed time of relaxation was important, she hadn’t had much of it to spend on herself of late.

After her shower she made her way back to her bed. Instead of grabbing a book to finish the night off with, she instead opted to rest at her windowsill. The streets of Magnolia weren’t overly busy in this part of town, but it was just busy enough to enjoy a peaceful session of people-watching. As she stared off into the streets, she allowed herself to reminisce over her memories.

Lucy was the type to wear her heart on her sleeves. She was an emotional thinker, one who treasured memories over material possessions. Magnolia had seen years of growth since her first day joining Fairy Tail, and while Lucy had been in suspended animation for a good chunk of that time, she too saw changes within herself. She had grown so much since she left home, her heart grew so much stronger due to her countless experiences and adventures in the guild.

Lucy was momentarily pulled from her thoughts as a couple ran by, hand in hand. The boy ran with an energetic step as a girl trailed behind him, trying to keep up. Lucy’s cheeks flushed and a soft smile etched across her features.

 _“Just like the first time I first met Natsu, he pulled me just like that before whisking me away to Fairy Tail.”_ Lucy smiled as she set her head down on her arms, her eyes closing to reminisce on her previous adventures. It amazed her, had she not met Natsu all those moons ago in Hargeon, she never would have met her guildmates. She would have never met her family.

Lucy opened her eyes to look back out into the streets. Butterflies stirred inside her as her vision focused on a familiar scene laid out in front of her. Quickly, she rubbed at her eyes to clear them for a better view. But when she opened them once more, nothing.

“W-what? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?” Lucy relaxed back into her spot, the butterflies wild in her core as she remembered the grand gesture Natsu made way back into her first year as a member of Fairy Tail. She’ll never forget the brilliant view of a rainbow cherry tree floating graciously down the river.

Natsu had done so much for her, not only as a teammate and guild member, but also as a close friend. She trusted him more than she trusted anyone, there was no one else she could imagine being beside her when things got tough.

There was a part of her that couldn’t deny she cared deeply for him, she hoped there had to be a part of Natsu that felt similarly towards her. Her confliction had taken a toll on her in the past, her uncertainty of Natsu’s true feelings puzzled her and instead she often opted to repress those thoughts of the fire wizard. To hear that her guildmates thought the two as a couple concerned her. Had she been too obvious in her previous thoughts? Or had the guild always felt the two were more than teammates?

She didn’t realize her tears until one fell right onto her marked hand, “You idiot.” Once again, her emotions ran rampant, “You absolute idiot, I hate you so much Natsu.” She wiped at her tears that fell with no sobs, but no matter how hard she tried, nothing seemed to slow them.

“Hm? You know it’s not nice to say you hate someone with a look like that on your face.” Lucy opened her eyes to only be greeted with the man in question. The butterflies in her stomach only grew wilder.

“Natsu,” she spoke in a breathy voice, “It’s you.”

The dragon-slayer flashed a bright, toothy grin, “Of course it’s me!” Natsu hung outside of her window frame, his feet hooked into the lattice fence that hugged her building. Effortlessly, he climbed the rest of his way into Lucy’s apartment.

“It’s just me tonight. Happy went home, said he needed some sleep after the job we took today. When I got back to the guild hall, Mira told me you ran home without another word,” Natsu plopped himself onto her couch, making himself right at home, “So I came by to make sure you were okay!” Lucy’s face burned, she felt vulnerable. Her heart felt as if it was split open, ready to spill every one of her emotions to her best friend.

“Natsu,” she breathed once more, her tears slowly dissipating at the presence of her most trusted ally.

“Hm?,” Natsu cocked his head to the side, “From the looks of it, you don’t seem to be fired up.”

Lucy let out a deep sigh, “No, Natsu. I’m not.” Natsu relaxed into the couch, prepared to listen to what was troubling his friend. Normally, he would moan and groan over what he liked to call ‘girl issues’, but Lucy’s state of mind called for a gentler approach.

He hummed, “Well, what’s on your mind?” Lucy bit her lip, a part of her wasn’t exactly sure if what she was feeling in that moment was true. Her heart yearned for an answer, but her head held back any form of a confession as uncertainty took over her thoughts.

“I… I don’t know,” was the only thing she could bring her mouth to say. A lie, a show of exasperation for her own emotional state.

“Both you and I know that’s not true.” Natsu stood as he cleared the distance between Lucy and him. He sat on top of her comforter, legs criss-crossed while his gaze fixated deep into her own. Lucy felt her face burn, her eyes sparkled in wonder as she stared into his. After a moment, she turned her head to the side, a small gesture in order to calm her rising heartbeat.

“I’m not sure if you want to know what’s bothering me.” Her eyes closed, the vulnerability she felt rose to greater heights within the pit of her stomach. Natsu’s confusion only grew, he started to feel as if he was interrogating her instead of trying to pull her out of this slump.

Lucy sighed before she cautiously spoke, “With Zeref and Acnologia gone, we’ve entered a new era.” Natsu’s gaze lowered as his mind tried to decipher what Lucy was pointing towards.

“And with a new era comes new plans, new possibilities, and new futures. I’ve spent so much time wondering about mine, and now I’m worried it’s going to pass by before I’m even ready,” Lucy breathed deeply before she spoke again, “I’ve felt that there’s no one out there for me for a long time now. But I’m starting to wonder…” She trailed off.

Natsu’s stare became a lot more serious and his tone was a bit deeper from his usual cheerful self, “Starting to wonder?”

Lucy nodded, “Yes.” Natsu gave her a look, one that gestured to her to continue. She was hesitant, her insides boiling as the butterflies threatened their escape.

“I’ve started to wonder if we…,” her nerves caused her to trail off, but Natsu’s stare was intent on getting her to spill her emotions, “If we’re meant to be together.” A part of her couldn’t believe she was able to say something so honest to him, and another part of her was overly embarrassed at how vulnerable she truly felt.

She waited for a reply, her shut tightly hoping that Natsu would at least listen to what she had to say. Maybe he’d laugh it off, say she was foolish, and be off on his way. Things could return to normal and they could pretend like this never happened. But her confusion piqued curiosity as she heard her friend’s humor, to which she turned to face him once more.

Natsu let out an innocent laugh as he flashed yet another one of his brightest smiles, “Lucy, I already told you.” The blonde stared at him in disbelief, her uncertainty slowly began to dissipate as her future became much more clear to her.

“We’re always gonna be together!” As he spoke, a warm flush spread across his cheeks, his honesty was amusing to her.

Lucy only felt relief, to which an overwhelming sense of happiness took over her. All the stresses from the day seemed like eons ago, but yet tears still threatened to fall from her eyes. Natsu caught wind, and only smiled more as he brought a hand to wipe away her cries.

“Hey! No more crying, Lucy,” his words seemingly fell on deaf ears as her tears finally fell down her face, “It’s been you, me, and Happy for a long time. I never want that to change!”

Lucy sniffled, her tears full of so much joy, she couldn’t contain them, “I feel the same.” Her voice sounded so fragile, but her words were so strong yet simple. But that’s what they have always been, a simple pair not bound by duty or expectation. They were always themselves with each other, neither hid their true feelings from the other through the good and bad.

She wrapped her arms around Natsu’s shoulders to which he returned the gesture, an honest embrace the two had craved for such a long time. The two stayed in each other's arms the rest of the night, enjoying their newfound realization. Natsu buried himself in Lucy’s hold, her aroma bringing him the comfort he desired more than anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! It's been about a decade since I've sat down and really focused on a piece of fan-fiction such as this one. So in a way, I suppose this is like a return to those times! I recently finished Fairy Tail, and felt that I needed a much more solid conclusion to the ending of the series. This is my take on those events. I have no plans to continue past this one-shot, but I still hope you enjoy reading this fun little project of mine!


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